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The downside of Tinder

With apps like Tinder and Happn it's easier than ever to arrange a date. But how do you find Mr or Mrs Right in that endless range of potential partners?

If you don’t feel like going to a pub every night, apps like Happn and Tinder might be just the thing for you. Just swipe right, type a few sentences, add a nice photo and wham!

Yes, dating apps are a simple, fast and efficient way to get some company. Falling in love however, is a whole different story. And according to Vanity Fair journalist Nancy Jo Sales Tinder and Happn aren’t exactly helping...

Millions of potential partners

On the contrary: they’re the dawn of the dating apocalypse, as they symbolize the hookup culture in which we have sex just to have sex, no matter how devastating the effect on the rituals of courtship.

Why marry?

In the last four million years there have been 2 major transitions in heterosexual mating: the first was during the agricultural revolution when we became less migratory, hence more settled; the second is happening right now, with the rise of the Internet - and dating apps in specific.

These apps give us the idea that there are millions of potential partners available and this affects our psychology: if there’s a surplus of (wo)men around us, why bother getting married? The entire mating system shifts from long-term relationships to short-term dating.

Casual sex

Now dating doesn’t need to take place in the public domain anymore, it’s easier for women to have casual sex without the stigma. That might explain how come Erasmus University scientist Janelle Ward found that of 21 Dutch men and women she interviewed, the one person who did use Tinder for sex was a girl and not a guy.

Evaluation

Although Tinder has it’s advantages and swiping left or right sometimes feels pretty empowering, empirical experts compare it to eating sushi: there’s always more on it’s way, and if you’re lucky that person has a better nose, no weird accent, no history and a better income too.

The more choice you have, the less satisfied you will be. But, and this is probably worse, by opening yourself up to potential evaluation eventually you will become your own worst enemy because believe it or not, there’s always somebody better looking, smarter or richer than you.